Gemotions

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 83 words

The flickering fluorescent lights of the DMV did nothing to calm Amelia. She tapped her foot, a staccato rhythm against the linoleum, as the minutes bled into an eternity. Her stomach churned with the...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 76 words

He slammed the door of the car with more force than necessary. The blasted engine wouldn’t start, again. Liam yanked the phone from his pocket, his knuckles white against the metal. He’d meant to ...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 75 words

The printer in the office sputtered and coughed, spewing out a mangled mess of paper just as she needed to print the presentation. Clara sighed, the sound sharp and breathy. She felt a heat rise in he...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 71 words

Rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the storm brewing inside Daniel. The barista had botched his order. They had completely ruined his latte, again. He gritted his teeth, the...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 74 words

The elevator doors wouldn’t open. The lights flickered. He was already late. Mark paced back and forth, muttering under his breath. He hated being late. He wanted to scream. He was going to text his...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 80 words

"Honestly," Maya muttered, scowling at the overflowing laundry basket. Her apartment was a disaster. She felt a prickle of agitation. It was a week before her best friend's wedding and she had to be a...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 68 words

The dog across the street wouldn't stop barking. It was incessant. John pressed his palms against his ears to try and block out the sound. He hated the noise. His head felt tight. He wanted to text hi...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 72 words

The traffic jam was monumental. Sarah drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, the insistent beat a counterpoint to the slow crawl forward. Every inch was a battle. She was going to be late. The mus...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 72 words

He stared at the spreadsheet, a jumble of numbers that refused to coalesce into a coherent picture. The deadline loomed. David felt a familiar tightness in his chest. He grabbed his phone to fire off ...

A person accidentally sends a text to the wrong recipient 82 words

The cable went out during the crucial scene of the show. Brenda groaned, a sound of profound disappointment. She’d been looking forward to this all day. She picked up her phone to text her friend, a...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 112 words

The fluorescent lights in the elevator hummed, a high-pitched whine that seemed to burrow into Amelia’s skull. She tapped her foot, the staccato rhythm a counterpoint to the drone. Across from her, ...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 86 words

He clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face tight. This was the third time this week the damn lift had malfunctioned. He checked his watch. Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes wasted. He glared at Sarah, ...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 87 words

The sudden darkness had startled her, a jolt that sent a tremor through her. "Oh, great," she muttered, the words barely audible. She wanted to slap the smug grin off Ben's face. "Don't worry," Ben s...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 92 words

The silence was the worst part. An oppressive, suffocating silence. He shifted his weight, the soles of his shoes squeaking against the polished floor. Beside him, Brenda was doing breathing exercises...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 85 words

The heat was the first sign. A subtle, creeping warmth that gradually became a suffocating embrace. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, smearing a smudge of ink across his forehead. He hated ...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 63 words

“Well, this is just peachy," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She rolled her eyes, her gaze drifting to the emergency instruction card. Her coworker, David, started rambling about the his...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 83 words

The small space felt as if it were getting smaller by the second. His breath hitched in his chest. He hated this. "So, um, any thoughts on how long we'll be here?" he asked, attempting a casual tone,...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 71 words

The metal walls seemed to shrink inward. She pressed her back against them, trying to find some semblance of space. She hated enclosed spaces. She couldn't stand it. "This is just my luck," she mutte...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 97 words

He let out a frustrated sigh, which seemed to echo in the small space. He hadn't gotten a full night of sleep. He had a mountain of work to get through. He felt this heavy tension build in the back of...

Two coworkers are stuck in an elevator for three hours 70 words

The delay was unacceptable. The missed deadline loomed over him. He started drumming his fingers on his briefcase, a frantic rhythm against the silent backdrop of the elevator. "How long do you think...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 126 words

The email landed with a thud in her inbox. “Professor Davies to Depart.” Her jaw clenched so hard she thought she might crack a molar. She took a deep breath, the air in the stuffy office feeling ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 123 words

He nearly ripped the email apart. He balled it up in his fist, crushing the neat lines of text into an unreadable mess. His knuckles were white. The air conditioning in the library seemed to fail all ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 90 words

"Are you KIDDING me?" Sarah said, the words escaping her with a sharp, unwelcome edge. Her voice echoed off the sterile walls of the lab. She didn't mean to yell. She just couldn't help it. The perfec...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 99 words

The news notification, blinking on his phone, felt like a punch to the gut. He dropped the device onto the kitchen counter. It clattered against the ceramic tile. He didn't even bother to check if it ...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 111 words

The professor’s secretary called. "He wants to meet you," she said, her voice a monotone drone. "I can schedule something for next week." The tone of her voice made something inside him want to scre...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 92 words

“Well, this is just peachy,” she muttered, her voice tight and clipped. She took a long, deliberate sip of her lukewarm tea, savoring the bitter taste. She was supposed to be writing, but the word...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 96 words

The knot in his stomach tightened with each syllable of the email. He reread the announcement three times, each reading more infuriating than the last. He felt a pulse throbbing behind his temples. He...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 93 words

“Fine,” he said to the wall, although there was no one present to hear him. His voice was a harsh whisper. He was alone in the lab, staring at the empty petri dishes. The sterile environment seeme...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 80 words

The news felt like a betrayal. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a physical manifestation of her rising dissatisfaction. She took deep breaths, trying to regain control. The campus, usually s...

A student learns their thesis advisor is leaving the university 96 words

He threw the university's publication to the ground. The pages splayed open, revealing the smiling faces of the faculty. He kicked the magazine across the room. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to ...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 163 words

The click-clack of the train set, a symphony of tiny plastic wheels on metal tracks, grated on Harold's nerves. He felt a throbbing ache behind his eyes. It was a Saturday, his only day off, and all h...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 144 words

Sarah slammed the door to the art studio a little too hard. The air was thick with the smell of turpentine and something else, something cloying and sweet. It was the scent of her daughter, Emily’s,...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 133 words

The constant scent of burnt rubber and gasoline clung to Mark's clothes and hair, a persistent reminder of his current predicament. He’d spent decades painstakingly restoring classic cars, a hobby t...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 119 words

The relentless tap-tap-tap of the drumsticks against the practice pad was driving Eleanor mad. Her own drumming had once been a source of catharsis, a way to release the pressures of her day. But now,...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 119 words

The house seemed to shrink around David. The air was stuffy, filled with the aroma of yeast and sugar, a smell that had once been comforting. But now, it was a reminder of his daughter's relentless ba...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 119 words

The relentless beeping of the Morse code machine echoed through the hallway. It was constant, a digital drip, drip, drip. Once, this had been his sanctuary, a hobby that offered a direct link to the w...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 100 words

The sheer volume of LEGO pieces scattered across the living room floor was overwhelming. It was everywhere. Once, Frank found building with the plastic bricks a relaxing and creative outlet, a way to ...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 118 words

The pungent odor of developing chemicals filled the basement, a smell that had once been synonymous with creative fulfillment. The dim red glow of the darkroom used to soothe his soul and had let him ...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 110 words

The meticulously organized shelves of his record collection, once his pride and joy, now seemed to mock him. The constant thump of bass and the screech of guitar riffs that now came from the living ro...

A person's longtime hobby becomes their child's obsession 103 words

The pungent smell of the workshop clung to Michael's clothes, a blend of wood shavings and varnish. Once, woodworking had been his refuge, a place where he found peace and created beautiful objects. N...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 159 words

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to throb, mimicking the pulse hammering in David's temples. He stabbed at the keyboard, the clicks echoing in the otherwise quiet space. It was the email, o...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 127 words

My palms were slick. They’d announced the decision just this morning. Mark, that smug… I pushed the elevator button again, harder this time. The doors were slow. I kept replaying the conversation ...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 129 words

The air conditioning blasted a frigid gale, but Leo felt hot. He ripped off his tie, the knot suddenly feeling too tight. He’d been certain. Absolutely certain. He’d practically written the propos...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 111 words

The constant tapping of Ms. Henderson’s pen against her desk was a high-pitched assault on his ears. He shifted in his seat, the plastic of the chair creaking in protest. He glanced at the clock. St...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 95 words

The phone rang. It was probably her. He didn’t answer it. He knew she would be so excited to tell him. He stared out the window, at the gray clouds that were reflecting his mood. It was his job. His...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 95 words

“Well, congratulations, again,” Ben said, the words tasting like ash in his mouth. He managed a smile, but it felt strained, unnatural. He watched as Susan, now his *superior*, beamed, surrounded ...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 112 words

The afternoon sun, usually a welcome visitor, felt like an unwelcome spotlight on Clara’s desk. It illuminated the dust motes dancing in the air, mocking her with their carefree movement. She slamme...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 95 words

The elevator ride felt interminable. He gripped the handrail, his knuckles white. The news had spread like wildfire. He could practically hear the whispers already. He kept imagining their faces: smug...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 84 words

The lunch break stretched on, an eternity. He poked at his salad, the tasteless greens doing nothing to satisfy the knot in his stomach. He saw Michael, already wearing his new title, laughing with th...

Two colleagues are both considered for the same promotion 106 words

He stared at the announcement on the wall, the words blurring before his eyes. It was a cruel joke. He had dedicated years to this company. He felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. He slowly...